You’ve probably heard of the Bermuda Triangle… but have you heard of the Fracture Triangle? Your likelihood of breaking a bone after a fall is determined by three things:
- The fall itself
- The force and direction of the fall (how hard you fall, and what you fall on)
- The fragility of the bones that take the impact
Falls are serious at any age, and breaking a bone after a fall becomes more likely as you age. Often there is a link between breaking a bone and osteoporosis — a disease involving the loss of bone tissue or bone density. If you don’t know that your bone density is low, a broken bone may be your wake up call.
Whether or not you break a bone, you may fear another fall. And with good reason! Fall-related injuries are the number one cause of accidental death in Americans aged sixty-five and older. Nine out of ten hip fractures are the result of a fall. Modifying the fall factors in the fracture triangle can reduce your chances of breaking a bone by a lot.
Modifying the Fall
- Watch your footing. Make sure floors aren’t wet or slippery. Wear shoes with sturdy rubber soles, and don’t climb on things like kitchen chairs or stacks of boxes to reach high shelves.
- Exercise to help strengthen your muscles and improve your balance.
- Make sure your vision is corrected (if need be) with glasses. Practice walking with bifocals or trifocals on.
- Know your medications. Some increase your risk of dizziness and/or falling, like blood pressure pills, some heart medicines, and tranquilizers.
- Watch your alcohol consumption.
Modifying the Force
- The taller you are, the more chance you have of a fracture — the distance between the hip and the floor is greater.
- The way you land can increase your risk of a fracture. Try to fall backwards, rather than on your side or straight down.
- Try to break your fall with your hands, or by grabbing onto something.
- Try to fall onto a soft surface (like a carpet or the grass) instead of a hard surface (like a hardwood floor or a sidewalk).
- Wearing hip padding can help reduce your chance of breaking a hip. The pads distribute the energy and lessen the direct impact to the hip.
Modifying the Fragility
- Get plenty of calcium.
- Get plenty of vitamin D.
- Exercise!
- Ask your doctor about medications that can help slow bone loss.